1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charged particle beam processing apparatus, and relates, for example, to a charged particle beam processing apparatus that processes, when processing grooves linearly, a sample by forming the grooves to a desired depth in the sample.
2. Background Art
Transmission electron microscopes generally require thin lamina having a thickness on the order of 0.1 μm as samples. According to a conventional method, a micro piece including observation locations is cut out from a sample, thinned by means of mechanical polishing and then a thin lamina having a thickness on the order of 0.1 μm is created using an ion milling apparatus.
In recent years, focused ion beams are being more and more used to create such thin samples. Enabling observation and processing, a focused ion beam apparatus can create a thin sample including desired observation locations processed to a size on the order of 10 μm and a thickness on the order of 0.1 μm.
Therefore, when observing, for example, a semiconductor device using a transmission electron microscope, the use of a focused ion beam makes it possible to identify observation locations and create a thin sample including the observation locations. Such a sample creation method using a focused ion beam is reported in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2.
Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus and method for focused ion beam processing using a column which is inclined with respect to a wafer and a rotation function of a stage. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a method (sampling method) of cutting out a thin-lamina sample piece using a focused ion beam and a sampling probe.
[Patent Document 1] JP Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 2002-503870
[Patent Document 2] JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-52721
[Non-Patent Document 1] “When Preparing Sample for TEM Using Focused Ion Beam” Surface Science Vol. 16, No. 12, pp 755-760, 1995
[Non-Patent Document 2] “Transmission Electron Microscope Sample Preparation Using a Focused Ion Beam”; J Electron Microscope 43, pp 322-326, 1994
[Non-Patent Document 3] Yamamura, Y., “Energy Dependence Of Ion-induced Sputtering Yields From Monatomic Solids At Normal Incidence,” At.Dat, &Nuc.Dat.Tab.62 (1996) 149)